Ajsignob to the new haven



Dec. 21', 1926.

P. H. ENGLISH ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN INDICATING INSTRUMENT- 1926 2%eeta-Sheet '1 Filed August 25 Dec. 21 1926.

' 1,611,583 P. H. ENGLISH ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN INDICATING INSTRUMENT F'lgglA 25 1928 t 1///uz1// 9 eets ee 2 f A X g? fill Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP H. ENGLISH, OF NEW' HAVEN, CDNNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEVJ' HAVEN CLOCK (30., '35 HEY] HEQVEN. CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN INDICATING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 25, 192

My invention relates to an improvement in electrically-driven indicating instruments requiring a uniform rate of speed, and more particularly clocks for which my invention was primarily designed, the object being to produce a simple, durable and reliable mech anism designed to utilize electric current without resorting to sparking contacts or to the slippage mechani m which. mustemployed to compensate for variations in the strength of the current in cases where he motor and the train being driven are directly connected.

' l-Vith these ends in view, my invention con sts in an indicating instrument charac- .l by a turbine driven at a uniform rate of speed by the discharge into it of an excess of mercury or other liquid lifted for the said purpose by an electrically-driven bucketwheel provided with buckets on the general princi ale of an overshot wate -wheel.

My invention further conch s in an electrically-driven indicating instrument. such as a clock-mechanism, characterized as described and having certa n other details of construction and arrangements as will be hereinafter described and poir ed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of an electrically-driven indicating instrument constructed in accordance with my invention, the upper left-hand corner of the housing being broken away Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, also with a portion of the housing broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view thereof in vertical section on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view thereof in vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention, herein shown as applied to an electricallydriven clock, I employ an electric motor 5, prefer ably an induction motor of the meter type, though I do not limit myself to any type of motor or the use of any source of current. This motor 5 is connected in any suitable manner with a bucket-wheel 6 revolving in the vertical plane on a shaft 7 in the chamber 8 of a hermetically-sealed housing Q. The said wheel 6 carries upon one face a series of equally-spaced semi-circular tubular buckets 10, the open ends of which are intersected by the radii of the wheel. The said chamber 8 is formed at its lower end Serial No. 131,341.

with a trough-like reservoir 11, the bottom of which substantially conforms in curvature to the curvature of the path in which the outer ends of the buckets 10 move in the rotation of the wheel. In the said reservoir 1 locate mercury 12, which may be replaced by any other stable fluid found available for the purpose. As the wheel turns from left to right, the buckets 10 pick up and elovate a predetermined quantity of the mercury, which they retain until, in the turning of the wheel, they approach nearly to the vertical position, when they successively discharge it into a chute 2" po itioned so as to discharge it directly into the pockets of a turbinewheel 13, urning loosely in a separate casing 14 located within the chamber 8 before described. This turbine 13 and its casing 14 may be of any approved construction, subject to the condition that there is suflicient clearance between them to permit the excess mercury constantly discharged b the buckets of the bucket-wheel into the pockets of the turbine to ir mediately fall into the reservoir 11 without exerting any drivig power or torque upon the turbine, whereby the same is driven at a uniform speed, despite variations in the speed of the bucket-wheel, due to variations in the current. The said casing 14 is provided with an inlet-opening registering with the chute 12 and with a dischargepipe 16, through which the fluid flows into the bottom of the reservoir 11.

It will be noted by reference, in particular, to Fig. 3, that the turbine 13 is enough smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of its casing 14 to provide an overflowspace between the ends of its blades 17 and the casing, so that any excess of fluid discharged into its pockets will overflow with out exercising any driving power or torque upon the turbine, as has already been explained.

It will be understood that the mercury discharged from any given bucket on the bucket-wheel into the pocket of the turbine in receiving position at the time, will, after filling such pocket, successively overflow into the pockets below the same, until the total amount of mercury retained by the turbine is sufficient to turn the same and operate the clock-mechanism, to which I have applied the general reference numeral 18 and which may be of any approved character. It may be explained, in this connection, that the amount of mercury retained by the turbine to drive the same will be regulated in accordance With the power required to drive the clock-mechanism, whatever that may be. As herein shown, it is of the pendulum type. In either case, the escapement-wheel or pendulum, as the case may be, will have to be started manually to take advantage of the first charging of the turbine with mercury, or whatever liquidmay be used to take its place. Ordinarily, a marine movement would start itself.

I claim:

1. An electrically-driven indicating instrument, comprising indicating means, a turbine for driving the same, a bucket-wheel adapted to discharge into the turbine an amount of fluid in excess of that required to drive the same, an electric motor for driving the said bucket-wheel and a housing for the bucket-wheel providing a reservoir for the fluid lifted by the wheel and discharged into the turbine, provision being made for the escape of any excess of fluid discharged into the turbine, due to variations in the speed of the bucketwheel, whereby the turbine is driven at a uniform speed.

2. An electrically-driven indicating instrument, comprising an indicating train, a turbine for driving the same, a bucket-wheel provided with buckets adapted to discharge a fluid into the turbine, an electric motor for driving the said bucket-wheel, and :1 hermetically-sealed housing for the bucketwheel and the fluid lifted by it for turning the turbine.

3. An electrically-driven indicating instrument, comprising an indicating train, a

turbine for driving the same, a bucket-wheel provided with a series of semi-circular tubular buckets open at each end and arranged to discharge into the turbine an amount of fluid in excess of that required to drive the same, an electric motor for driving the said bucket-wheel, and a housing for the bucket- Wheel and turbine, provision being made for the escape of any excess of fluid discharged into the turbine by the bucket-Wheel, due to variations of the speed of the bucket-wheel, whereby the turbine is driven at a uniform speed.

4. In an electric clock, the combination With an escapement-train, of a turbine for driving the same, a bucket-wheel for discharging into the turbine an amount of fluid in excess of that required to drive the same, an electric motor for driving the said bucketwheel, and a housing for the wheel and turbine, provision being made for the escape from the turbine of any excess of fluid discharged thereinto, due to variations in the speed of the bucket-wheel, whereby the turbine is driven at a uniform speed.

5. An electric clock, comprising an escapement-train, a turbine for driving the same, a bucket-wheel adapted to discharge into the turbine an amount of fluid in excess of that required to drive the same, an electric motor for driving the said bucket-wheel, a housing for the bucket-wheel providing a reservoir for the fluid lifted by the wheel and discharged into the turbine, and a casing for the turbine located within the said housing and having inlet and discharge openings.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

PHILIP H. ENGLISH. 

